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Juliet's mark/Theories
Chick Little 14:44, 14 April 2009 (UTC) *Juliet's mark has a similar meaning to Jack's tattoo - she is marked as no longer one of the group. **The mark on her back very closely resembles Ethan's mark on the tree near the caves. Symbolism *The star of the tarot card symbolizing hope and is often depicted with eight points. *It has a similar configuration to an inverted Star of Bethlehem. Also known as the epiphany star; see http://www.historictrinity.org/epiphany.html *It resembles an inverted 8-pointed cross of the Church of Scientology http://www.scientologytoday.org/Common/question/pg21.htm * The 8-Pointed Star or Octagram corresponds to the Wheel of the Year and the 8 Sabbats of Wiccan and Pagan traditions. It is representative of the cycle of time and the power of regeneration and return. * The eight-spoked Dharmacakra wheel represents the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism (similar, though this symbol misses the crucial ring which forms the outer rim). * The mark resembles the "Symbol of Chaos" from Michael Moorcocks Eternal Champion megaseries. In particular the arms of the symbol are often of unequal length. * The mark resembles the chaosphere symbol of the Illuminates of Thanateros magical order. *It looks like a falling star - symbolic of Juliet's 'fallen status' and evocative of "Catch a Falling Star". **This could also hint at a relationship between Juliet and Claire. *The falling star design calls to mind the Biblical description of the fall of Lucifer "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!" - Isaiah 14:12 (NRSV). *It is the eight pointed star of ancient astrology, representing the fixed stars. The lengthened vertical indicating that one has fallen to earth. *The symbol has a relation to the Rosicrucian order; see http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=1862 *The mark resembles an ancient Greek symbol called "epsilon", which basically is a cross, with the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet backward and forward. The letter "epsilon" is the first letter in the Greek word Ελλας (Hellas-Greece) and Ελληνας (Hellinas-Greek). The symbol (see first picture) was used in various forms, with the most famous being in the paintings behind King Minoan's throne in Knossos in Crete (see second picture). Hollywood knows very well this symbol, since it was also used in the film Troy (see third picture). **The epsilon is not star shaped, but is shaped as an Ε or ε (the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet), not a cross. Same too but a little different in mathematics, and Latin also - not a cross, but shaped like the letter E. *Juliet's mark purpose and symbolism is similar to the Biblical "mark of Cain," which was placed on him after he killed his brother. Cain was marked as a sign that nobody should kill him, similar to how Juliet was marked instead of being killed: "And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him." (KJV) *The mark is almost identical in design to the Panopticon prison that Alex is taken to in A Clockwork Orange. *Airing this episode on Ash Wednesday in the USA makes the mark suggestive of a 40 day to come cycle in which Jesus (Jack) is to be betrayed, murdered and then rise from the dead in the next 40 days. *The Monster kills anyone or anything that bears this 'Mark'. Ben's sentence is therefore a tad more humane than the other's executing Juliet themselves. *Shortly after receiving the mark, Juliet has an encounter with the smoke monster. During this encounter, the smoke monster takes a snap-shot of her. *The symbol resembles the ten Sephirot, which is a Kabbalistic symbol. *It also resembles a compass rose. *Possible link between the eight-points and the eight sides of the Dharma Symbol. This also links with the blast door map, which is likewise octagonal. The longest point of the star, in this case would correspond with the station "The Arrow". *In Nazi Germany, Jews were required to wear a large yellow Star of David on their chests to identify them as Jews. **During the middle ages, Jews often were required to wear a six-pointed badge that looked more or less like an asterisk.http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm Other Theories *The mark is almost identical to the 8-pointed star found on Cadbury creme eggs (which are "Easter eggs"); the writers used this symbol as a red herring for fans who research every minor detail of the show. http://thelostmeister.blogspot.com/2007/03/tricia-tanaka-is-dead-notes-assorted.html *The mark is an eight pointed star that symbolises resurrection, rebirth, and renewal. Therefore, this implies that Juliet will die AND be brought back to life (i.e. resurrected) at a later date. *The mark is similar to the eight-pointed star which serves as a symbol for Marvel Comics' character Captain Mar-Vell. Many of the creative staff for Lost are self-proclaimed comic book enthusiasts, so the mark could be a subtle allusion to the character. *The Others may have marked Juliet in order that she would be "flashed" by the monster who would judge her. *It resembles the locating graphics Mrs. Hawking is playing with at the end of "The Lie" in season five. *Is the reason why she is flashing with the Losties and not traveling with Richard and the Others. **At the time Juliet is marked, the Others already know that she has been travelling through time, so it is a means to identify her across time shifts, as no matter which time period she is travelling to, she can be identified by means of the mark. *When we first meet Juliet in Season 3 she has already been 'converted/saved' at the temple like all the others (ie what happened to young Ben at the end of Whatever Happened, Happened). When she was marked this was taken away and she lost the connection with the Island, and the last part of her commitment to the Others. This is why everyone came to watch, such a reversal is rare, however it is likely the same thing was done to Widmore, look out for a shot of his mark in the upcoming episodes. *Juliet of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a "star crossed lover," which is to say her destiny is cursed. Juliet, gaining her star mark, is now literally star crossed, with her destiny plotted to the white light explosion at the end of Season 5, an explosion which also could be characterized as a star and also, as others have theorized, as either a means to either death or rebirth (i.e., hitting the reset button). Juliet's mark is also like Jack's tattoo, asking Lost's fate versus free will theme: The mark may define Juliet or she might, as Jack does, define it to her own meaning (as Jack says something like "that's what it (his tattoo) says, but that's not what it means). This also coheres well to her end of season 5 decision to help Jack set off the nuke--she's defining her destiny, ironically racing towards the moment indicated by the mark on her back. Note: Reading signs as via stars is also deeply indicated by the Karl's dialogue about viewing the sky with his young lover Alex and creating their own constellations of meaning (e.g., Ursus Theodore)--in this context, also note that Karl and Alex are also doomed, much like Romeo and Juliet, to tragic ends. This suggests Lost's theme of white versus dark is actually one of Capulets versus Montagues--forces that, both seeing themselves as "the good guys," become out-of-balance with each other, ultimately bringing only strife. *The mark is the reason Juliet was skipping through time, unlike the rest of the hostiles. The mark symbolizes she is no longer one of them. *Juliet's mark is a ruse by the Others to convince Jack that she has been "cast out" so he will bring her back to the beach camp where she will spy for and report back to Ben.